Cats & Dogs in Art, and the Purrfect Bonus

Paintings on slate take on a life of their own, partly due to the chinks and cracks and chips in the stone itself.  It lends itself to all kinds of creative idiosyncrasies in each piece.  Here are some cat paintings I did recently. With the tabby cat you can't probably tell from the pic, but the foot projecting forward is utilizing a corner chip for a 3-D effect.  The slates are so nice to handle.  These ones are "wearable art," being just about three inches high.

 

The black and white kitty in the portrait is my own kitteh, Chuck, captured in his typical upside-down pose.

 

 

 

 

These mini pieces are getting popular.  Below is a commissioned portrait of, "Prada," a corgi who lives in Colorado.  The ink pen is included for size reference.  1.5x3" is a pretty darn small surface to work on!  But they make beautiful pendants. 



 

 

    When I ship these commissions, I often try to include a little free gift, especially for my repeat customers.  Enter Wysong Pet Food, a Michigan-based company with all-natural products.  They sent me some samples to include with my commissions; small packs of biscuits for dogs like Prada, and even better, some "Dream Treats" for cats.  Each treat is a medallion of compressed chicken.  I tried one out on Chuck, and he went crazy for it!  I was able to break it up and get a few tricks out of him.

 

 

 

     Thanks Wysong for your sponsorship -- here's to natural pet foods for a long and healthy life for Pup and Kitteh.

Perry the Parvo Pup

Today I got to visit Perry, my former "parvo puppy". He is a rescue, a Lab/Australian shepherd mix, a Parvo survivor, who I raised for a year and then found a home for. Perry wanted to go to a home with kids, and he now lives with Jake and Jackie, thirteen year old twins, and Buster, his Boston Bull buddy. Perry goes on daily runs with his mom. He actually grew to be a much bigger dog than I'd anticipated.



Perry's system was pretty ravaged by the virus for awhile. I couldn't get him to make a solid stool until I put him on Life's Abundance, a holistic food that is delivered fresh right to the door.



Now he is the picture of health, and his coat is wonderful! It just glows. Perry has one eye with some blue in it. He "woo-woo's" when he sees me, the same as Rip does! It was pretty funny. It's nice to know he remembers his foster mom.

New Year's Dog Treats

With the current scares about processed pet foods, a lot of folks are turning over a new leaf and feeding all natural food and treats. In the spirit of the holidays, Todd Muchmore of Rover's Recipes offers this delicious recipe sure to make your dog drool:


Apple Cinnamon Doggie Biscuits


·1 package apple, dried

·1 teaspoon Cinnamon --(I usually just shake some in)

·1 Tablespoon parsley, freeze-dried

·1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder

·1 cup ice water

·1/2 cup Corn Oil

·5 cups flour

·1/2 cup powdered milk

·2 large eggs

·1 tablespoon corn oil


Put the apples in a food processor so that pieces are small. Combine in a bowl all of the ingredients--can add oil or water if dough is too dry. Using a rolling pin roll out dough to about 3/16" thick (can make thinner or thicker). Using a cookie cutter--cut into shapes -place on cookie sheets.


Bake at 350 degrees for approx 20 -25 minutes (until golden). NOTE: if you substitute corn meal just subtract about 3/4 cup from flour and add Corn meal .


Todd offers special treats for dogs with allergies and a host of other options. Check out his site at http://www.roversrecipes.com/


Also, if you are shopping for a new dog food, consider Life's Abundance.


I have a personal testament to this food. My last foster puppy, Perry, was a parvo survivor. Perry was a half Australian shepherd whose mother had been abandoned while pregnant. She had the litter in a foster home. I had actually adopted Perry's littermate before him, who broke with the terrible virus and I had to take him in to be euthanized.


The original foster mother, who lost most of the litter, was devastated. She offered me Perry to replace the other pup. Perry had been sick too, but he'd recovered. He was a very good-natured puppy, blue merle, mostly black, with a blue spot in one eye. I named him Perry, short for "Periwink." I brought him home when he was about ten weeks old.


Perry had beaten the disease. However, it had ravaged his intestines. He had a loose stool that no matter what I did, just would not firm up. I tried giving him canned pumpkin and yogurt, and I tried several different foods, including cooking hamburger and rice.


Finally I tried Life's Abundance. Perry's recovery was nothing short of miraculous. He immediately started gaining weight, and his coat shone. In just a week's time he was radiating good health.


Perry has since gone to a good home with a wonderful family. He enjoys playing with Buster, his Boston Bull buddy, and I am told he fetches the paper every day!


Life's Abundance dog food is holistic, no preservatives, and shelf life is never over six weeks. You order it online and it's delivered right to your door. They offer cat food too, AND horse treats!http://www.newnaturalpetfood.com/


Here's wishing you and your pet "Bone Appetit!" and Happy New Year!